New Providence High School
Encyclopedia
New Providence High School is a public high school
in the borough of New Providence
, in Union County
, New Jersey
, operating as the only high school in the New Providence School District
, serving students in grades 9 through 12. New Providence High School opened on September 8, 1958 with its first graduating class on June 23, 1960. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1965.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 625 students and 40 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.62.
In addition, Advanced Placement courses provide college level credits for students. New Providence High School provides opportunities to earn college credits through the Middle College Program in partnership with Fairleigh Dickinson University
. As of 2007, the school principal is Paul Casarico.
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 17th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post
, the school was ranked 53rd in New Jersey and 1,615th nationwide.
, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
. Prior to the realignment that took place in 2010, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference
. NPHS is home to multiple State Championships in sports such as track & field, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, golf, swimming, and wrestling.
The Pioneers have had three state wrestling champions: John Ferrara (1969), Rich Billitz (1976), and Donnie DeFilippis (1999, who came in second twice before winning the title).
Head football coach Frank Bottone finished the 2006 season with his 300th career victory, the fourth coach in New Jersey history to achieve that milestone. The only coach in New Providence's school history since the football program began in 1963, Bottone compiled a record of 334-125-7 in his 46 seasons before he retired after the 2010 season. His teams won 15 Conference Championships and eight State Championships including an undefeated season in 1989 when the Pioneers went 11-0 with 9 shutouts, cumulatively outscoring their opponents 234-20. The two teams that scored against the Pioneers that season were Middlesex (43-13) and Brearly Regional of Kennilworth (35-7); none of the scores were against their first string defense. The following year, Anthony Pignio represented NPHS in the North vs. South All star game, where he won MVP honors. Other stand-outs include Ted Blackwell who still holds the New Jersey High School record for points in a season with 254 points. Other notables include Sid Kitson a former tackle with the Green Bay Packers.
Bottone called it a career at the end of the 2010 season, his 49th season overall in New Providence. The Pioneers went 10-1 en route to the North II, Group I State Championship with a 21-8 victory against Lincoln High School
of Jersey City.
Former head baseball coach Tom Beck was recently inducted into the NJSIAA Hall of Fame. He won numerous Mountain Valley Conference Championships along with two State Sectional Titles and a Group 1 State Championship in 1998. In 1990, after winning their State Section and North Jersey championships, Beck's team came up just short in the Group I State Championship, losing 1-0 despite Pitcher Ernie Schmidt throwing a no-hitter, and allowing no walks in the contest. Schmidt had a perfect game until the 6th inning when a dropped 3rd strike passed ball and bizarre sequence of events let up a run without any hits.
The boys soccer team won the 2003 NJSIAA North II Group I Sectional Championship with a 1-0 win over David Brearley High School
. In 2007 the boys soccer team won the 2007 NJSIAA Central Group I Sectional Championship with a 3-2 win in over time against Metuchen High School
. Alex Pellas scored the winning goal with around 4 minutes to go in the first overtime. The 2007 boys soccer team also won the Mountain Valley Conference
. They went undefeated in their conference and finished with an 18-3-1 record. They lost to Arthur P. Schalick High School
in the Group I semi-finals 2-0.
The 2003 girls soccer team won the Group I state championship, when they were co-champions with Glen Rock High School
. In 2004 they won the Central Jersey Group I sectional championship and MVC conference. In 2005 and 2006 they defended their MVC titles. In 2010 the girls soccer team defeated Pennsville Memorial High School
for the Group I State Championship.
The 2007 girls tennis team won the Central Jersey, Group I state sectional championship with a 5-0 win over Bound Brook High School
in the tournament final. The team moved on to win the Group I State Championship with a 3-2 win over County Prep High School
in the semifinals and Pennsville Memorial High School
in the finals by a 3-2 score. The 2008 girls tennis team won the North II, Group I state sectional championship with a 4-1 win over County Prep High School
. They went on to successfully defend their Group 1 state championship crown by defeating Pennsville Memorial High School
in the semifinals and Leonia High School
in the finals, both by a score of 3-2. This is the first time in NPHS sports history that a team has won back-to-back state championships.
The New Providence High School Marching Band has won USSBA New Jersey State Championships in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. The band has won USSBA Northern States/All States Championships in Allentown, PA, in 2002, 2008 and 2010.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the borough of New Providence
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
, in Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, operating as the only high school in the New Providence School District
New Providence School District
The New Providence School District is a comprehensive community public school serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in New Providence in Union County, New Jersey, United States...
, serving students in grades 9 through 12. New Providence High School opened on September 8, 1958 with its first graduating class on June 23, 1960. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1965.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 625 students and 40 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.62.
In addition, Advanced Placement courses provide college level credits for students. New Providence High School provides opportunities to earn college credits through the Middle College Program in partnership with Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
. As of 2007, the school principal is Paul Casarico.
Awards and recognition
The school was the 5th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey MonthlyNew Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 17th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the school was ranked 53rd in New Jersey and 1,615th nationwide.
Athletics
The New Providence High School Pioneers now compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic ConferenceUnion County Interscholastic Athletic Conference
The Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference is a New Jersey high school sports association operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association...
, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.-State championships:...
. Prior to the realignment that took place in 2010, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference
Mountain Valley Conference
The Mountain Valley Conference was a New Jersey high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association . The conference consisted of sixteen public and parochial high schools covering Union County and Essex County in northern New Jersey...
. NPHS is home to multiple State Championships in sports such as track & field, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, golf, swimming, and wrestling.
The Pioneers have had three state wrestling champions: John Ferrara (1969), Rich Billitz (1976), and Donnie DeFilippis (1999, who came in second twice before winning the title).
Head football coach Frank Bottone finished the 2006 season with his 300th career victory, the fourth coach in New Jersey history to achieve that milestone. The only coach in New Providence's school history since the football program began in 1963, Bottone compiled a record of 334-125-7 in his 46 seasons before he retired after the 2010 season. His teams won 15 Conference Championships and eight State Championships including an undefeated season in 1989 when the Pioneers went 11-0 with 9 shutouts, cumulatively outscoring their opponents 234-20. The two teams that scored against the Pioneers that season were Middlesex (43-13) and Brearly Regional of Kennilworth (35-7); none of the scores were against their first string defense. The following year, Anthony Pignio represented NPHS in the North vs. South All star game, where he won MVP honors. Other stand-outs include Ted Blackwell who still holds the New Jersey High School record for points in a season with 254 points. Other notables include Sid Kitson a former tackle with the Green Bay Packers.
Bottone called it a career at the end of the 2010 season, his 49th season overall in New Providence. The Pioneers went 10-1 en route to the North II, Group I State Championship with a 21-8 victory against Lincoln High School
Lincoln High School (Jersey City, New Jersey)
Lincoln High School is a four-year public high school located in Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operated as part of the Jersey City Public Schools, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade....
of Jersey City.
Former head baseball coach Tom Beck was recently inducted into the NJSIAA Hall of Fame. He won numerous Mountain Valley Conference Championships along with two State Sectional Titles and a Group 1 State Championship in 1998. In 1990, after winning their State Section and North Jersey championships, Beck's team came up just short in the Group I State Championship, losing 1-0 despite Pitcher Ernie Schmidt throwing a no-hitter, and allowing no walks in the contest. Schmidt had a perfect game until the 6th inning when a dropped 3rd strike passed ball and bizarre sequence of events let up a run without any hits.
The boys soccer team won the 2003 NJSIAA North II Group I Sectional Championship with a 1-0 win over David Brearley High School
David Brearley High School
David Brearley High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Kenilworth in Union County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Kenilworth Public Schools...
. In 2007 the boys soccer team won the 2007 NJSIAA Central Group I Sectional Championship with a 3-2 win in over time against Metuchen High School
Metuchen High School
Metuchen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Metuchen in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Metuchen School District...
. Alex Pellas scored the winning goal with around 4 minutes to go in the first overtime. The 2007 boys soccer team also won the Mountain Valley Conference
Mountain Valley Conference
The Mountain Valley Conference was a New Jersey high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association . The conference consisted of sixteen public and parochial high schools covering Union County and Essex County in northern New Jersey...
. They went undefeated in their conference and finished with an 18-3-1 record. They lost to Arthur P. Schalick High School
Arthur P. Schalick High School
Arthur P. Schalick High School is a comprehensive community four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Pittsgrove Township, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Pittsgrove Township School District.As of the 2005-06 school year, the...
in the Group I semi-finals 2-0.
The 2003 girls soccer team won the Group I state championship, when they were co-champions with Glen Rock High School
Glen Rock High School
Glen Rock High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from Glen Rock, in Bergen County, New Jersey, operating as part of the Glen Rock Public Schools....
. In 2004 they won the Central Jersey Group I sectional championship and MVC conference. In 2005 and 2006 they defended their MVC titles. In 2010 the girls soccer team defeated Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School is comprehensive community public high school in Pennsville Township, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pennsville School District....
for the Group I State Championship.
The 2007 girls tennis team won the Central Jersey, Group I state sectional championship with a 5-0 win over Bound Brook High School
Bound Brook High School
Bound Brook High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Bound Brook, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Bound Brook School District....
in the tournament final. The team moved on to win the Group I State Championship with a 3-2 win over County Prep High School
County Prep High School
County Prep High School is a full-time public high school, located in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology....
in the semifinals and Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School is comprehensive community public high school in Pennsville Township, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pennsville School District....
in the finals by a 3-2 score. The 2008 girls tennis team won the North II, Group I state sectional championship with a 4-1 win over County Prep High School
County Prep High School
County Prep High School is a full-time public high school, located in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology....
. They went on to successfully defend their Group 1 state championship crown by defeating Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School is comprehensive community public high school in Pennsville Township, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pennsville School District....
in the semifinals and Leonia High School
Leonia High School
Leonia High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grade from the Borough of Leonia in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Leonia Public Schools...
in the finals, both by a score of 3-2. This is the first time in NPHS sports history that a team has won back-to-back state championships.
The New Providence High School Marching Band has won USSBA New Jersey State Championships in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. The band has won USSBA Northern States/All States Championships in Allentown, PA, in 2002, 2008 and 2010.
Notable alumni
- Ted Blackwell, set the single season scoring record in New Jersey High School football with 254 points in 1976, which has since been broken.
- Andrew FastowAndrew FastowAndrew Stuart Fastow was the chief financial officer of Enron Corporation that was based in Houston, Texas until the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into his and the company's conduct in 2001...
(born 1961), former EnronEnronEnron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
executive - Thomas McCarthyThomas McCarthy (actor)Thomas Joseph McCarthy is an American actor, writer, and film director who has appeared in several movies, including Meet the Parents and Good Night, and Good Luck, and television shows such as The Wire, Boston Public, Law & Order, and the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of Saint Maybe...
(born 1966), actor, screenwriter and director. - D. D. VerniD. D. VerniD.D. Verni , is an American bassist, best known as founding member and longtime bassist/songwriter of thrash metal band Overkill.-Early years:...
, bass player for the 1980s heavy metal band OverkillOverkill (band)Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
.
External links
- New Providence High School
- New Providence School District
- Data for the New Providence School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Review of public schools
- New Providence High School profile provided by schooltree.org
- New Providence Athletic Foundation